How the Mighty are Fallen
by Joe Fenton
Summary: My own vision of Ranma in the DBZ world. Rules will be more DBZ than Ranma, but I hope the characters stay about the same.
1. Homecoming

Ranma 1/2 is the property of Rumiko Takahashi and Viz Communications.  
Dragonball is the property of Akira Toriyama and Funimation.

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How the Mighty are Fallen  
by Joe Fenton  
Chapter 1: Homecoming  


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Soun moved a tile on the shogi board. "It's been two weeks, Saotome."

Genma nodded. "He'll be here. I wouldn't have let him go if I didn't think he would." That and he was scared to death of the old hag, but he wasn't about to tell his old friend that.

Off to the side, Nabiki snorted in derision. "No offense, Mr. Saotome, but if he's smart, he's long gone."

"I'm not going to marry the freak!" Akane made sure everyone was aware of her stance on the issue - as she had at every chance since their father's old training partner had arrived.

Nabiki sighed. "Yes, Akane. We're all aware of how you feel about Mr. Saotome's son." Personally, she felt the same, but she wasn't going to say anything until all the information was in. While she was a bit put off by the notion of having to marry a boy with a gender curse (if Mr. Saotome was speaking the truth on that matter), there might be enough positives to outweigh the negatives. She didn't see how, but she'd at least wait and see. It was just as well she was. It was looking more and more like she would be stuck with this engagement. Akane was making sure Mr. Saotome knew how unsuitable she was, how much against the very idea. Couple that with the age difference between Kasumi and Mr. Saotome's son, and who else was left?

She frowned at the fathers as they continued their game.

Soun suddenly looked up, then stood and moved to the porch through the open sliding doors.

Genma stood and moved to stand next to him. He was frowning, then broke into a smile. "Ah! See? Here he is now." He looked rather smug.

Akane frowned and moved next to her father. She glanced around the yard. "I don't see anyone." She noticed her father and Mr. Saotome were looking up at the sky. She looked up as well. "What? You think he's just going to come flying in or - something -" She trailed off as something caught her eye.

Nabiki shielded her eyes with a hand as she looked at the glowing point of light in the sky. The point slowly grew. By the time it started angling toward the ground, a figure could clearly be discerned through the glowing light surrounding it.

The light disappeared as the figure touched down on one foot in the yard.

"Hey, Pop! I can't tell you how good it is to see you again after all this time." The young man gave a smile that could melt a winter blizzard.

Nabiki stared in shock. This was no _boy_. This was a _man_ - possibly nineteen or twenty. He filled out his clothes in a manner that would cause women to swoon. Nabiki prided herself on her control, but was hard pressed to keep her composure. She turned to Mr. Saotome.

"I thought you said your son was sixteen?"

Mr. Saotome was frowning too. "What have you gone and done _now_, boy?" He grabbed a bucket of water. "First things first." He dumped the bucket over the young man's head. When said young man failed to do anything but become wet, Mr. Saotome smiled widely.

"You did it, boy!" He started celebrating, then grabbed his son by the shoulders. "Quickly, how did you cure it? Did you bring anymore with you?" He started dancing around again. "Never going to be a panda again!"

The young man frowned as his father danced around singing about never being a panda. He gave the others an embarrassed look. "Can I get a towel or something?" He set his bag on the porch.

Kasumi appeared with a towel, then stopped in shock. She hadn't yet seen Mr. Saotome's son, being stuck in the kitchen working on dinner. She held out the towel, a dumbfounded look on her face. "Oh my. You look rather - healthy - for sixteen."

The young man laughed as he toweled off. "While I might be sixteen according to my birth certificate, I'm probably closer to twenty at this point." He noticed the stares. "Sorry about all this. I'm Ranma Saotome, but then I imagine Pop has told you all about me."

He was interrupted by his father. "Quick, boy! Give me the cure!"

"Sorry, Pop, but there isn't any cure - short of using the dragonballs."

Genma looked crushed. "Soooo, what? You went and used the dragonballs to cure yourself and forgot all about your poor father? Oh the shame of it all! To have a son who thinks so little of his own father!"

Ranma frowned. "No, I didn't use the dragonballs, and I'm not cured. I _did_ find a way to suppress the change through training."

His father was beaming again. "Great work, son. How do I start?"

The young man smirked. "Well, first you start by climbing Korin's Tower."

Genma frowned. "Quit fooling around, boy, and tell -"

Ranma cut him off. "There's time enough for that later. It's been a long trip and I'd like to rest and get something to eat."

Soun felt it the proper time to step in. "Come in and make yourself at home. After all, once you marry one of my girls, it will be yours."

Ranma had started to step onto the porch, then tripped and fell on his face as what Mr. Tendo said penetrated. "_What_?"

Genma nodded. "Soun and I made a solemn pledge to unite the schools through marriage. All you have to do is pick one of his girls and we can hold the ceremony right away."

Soun helped Ranma up. "This is my oldest daughter, Kasumi. She's nineteen." Said girl was still staring in shock. Soun gestured at Nabiki. "Then there's Nabiki. She's seventeen."

Nabiki smiled widely. This was starting to look better all the time. She swayed up next to the boy and gave him a sultry look. "Well hello, handsome. Maybe we can get to know each other better." She grinned as the young man froze in shock.

Soun seemed not to notice as he motioned towards Akane. "And my youngest, Akane. She's sixteen."

Akane frowned. "How did you come out of the sky like that? People can't fly - it must have been some kind of trick!" She didn't trust this _Ranma_ at all. First, he wasn't as young as Mr. Saotome had said. Then he didn't seem to be cursed as his father had told them. She suspected this might not be Mr. Saotome's son at all. "I challenge you!" She'd beat this impostor and have him thrown out in the street.

Ranma thought it over. "Well, I really would like to rest and get some dinner, but I guess a quick spar should be okay." He moved out into the yard, then nodded. "This will do fine."

Akane smirked and moved opposite him as he took up a horse stance. The smirk vanished as Ranma powered up.

Ranma growled as he brought his ki up. A blue corona surrounded him, and anything loose in the yard started floating. The corona peaked, and Ranma shifted into a tiger stance. His battle aura had a distinctly cat-like appearance that gave the young man a ferocious look.

Soun sidled up next to him. "Uh, Ranma? You aren't seriously contemplating killing my little girl, are you?"

Ranma frowned. "Of course not! I am after all giving her plenty of time to power up."

Nabiki covered her stunned look with a more typical smirk. "Well, unless Kuno-chan is trying to grope her again, this is about as _powered up_ as she's going to get."

Akane was demonstrating outstanding control as she managed to keep her knees from shaking. She was after all, a third dan in kempo, and if you can't keep your knees from shaking at that stage, you weren't much of a fighter. She was muttering under her breath, trying to get her courage back. "It's just a trick. No one's that strong. It's just a trick."

Ranma glanced at the girl, then stood straight and powered down. "You're kidding, right?"

Nabiki shook her head.

Ranma turned toward the house. "Oh well, I wanted something to eat anyway."

"An opening!" Akane darted forward as she saw her chance. She knew he had been bluffing, and the moment he stopped his little light act, she knew the fight was hers. She started with a roundhouse kick, then started a quick set of punches. She knew she had him overwhelmed as he failed to block a single attack.

Ranma frowned as the girl struck him repeatedly. He ignored her as he turned to the middle girl. "What's her problem?"

Nabiki covered her surprise rather well. She knew Ranma was pretty strong, but he was ignoring all Akane's attacks like they were nothing. She knew how many cinder blocks Akane broke on a regular basis, so Ranma had to be well above Akane's level to ignore her strongest attacks in that manner.

"We don't tend to get many martial artists of your - uh - caliber around here." She watched as Akane finished a flurry of spinning kicks, then fell back, panting hard. "Looks like she'll be done in a moment."

Ranma let the girl throw a few more punches, then slowly pushed her over on her rear. The girl flopped on her back and lay gasping, trying to catch her breath. He shrugged, picked up his bag, and entered the house. He took off his shoes and set his bag to the side.

Kasumi snapped out of her daze. "Uh, I'd better get dinner ready." She ran for the kitchen.

Nabiki smiled. "Let me show you to your room." She tried to pick up his bag. Tried to being the key phrase. She strained fruitlessly with it for a moment. "What's in this? Lead weights?"

Ranma took the bag from her and swung it over his shoulder. "It's just clothes, but they're all weighted. It's to improve my training."

Nabiki thought about it, then strained to pick up one of the shoes he'd taken off. She held it a moment, gauging its weight, then set it down again. "So all of your clothes are weighted like this?" It was no wonder he'd been able to ignore her sister's attacks if all his clothes were weighted like the shoe she'd picked up.

Ranma nodded. "I sometimes forget about it now, but when I first started, I never thought I'd be able to move, much less fight." He followed Nabiki up the stairs to the guest room, set his bag down, the pulled a change of clothes from it. "Any chance I can get cleaned up before dinner?"

"Sure. I'll show you where the bath is." She gave him another sultry look. "Need someone to wash your back?"

Ranma froze in shock, then looked embarrassed. "Uh, I think I'll be okay on my own."

Nabiki smiled at his obvious embarrassment. He might look older, but in some ways, he was still sixteen. She led him back downstairs and left him at the bath. She wandered back into the living room where Kasumi was putting out dishes for dinner.

Kasumi noticed her sister. "Nabiki. Finish setting the table while I get the food." She looked around. "Where's Ranma?"

Nabiki started setting the table. "He's in the bath getting cleaned up."

Kasumi frowned. "Oh dear. Akane went upstairs to get a change of clothes so she can take a bath before dinner."

Nabiki smiled. "Really?" She moved back towards the bath. "This ought to be good - and maybe we'll get a glimpse of Ranma at the same time."

"Nabiki!" Kasumi tried to sound stern, but followed her back towards the bath.

They had reached it when an angry voice came from the inner bath.

"_Who the hell are you_? What are you doing in _my_ home?"

They found Akane, naked, confronting an equally naked woman. The woman had red hair and had obviously been washing it as shampoo still ran down her body and she was holding a rinse bucket.

Akane turned to her sisters. "I found this girl using our bath. The nerve of some people!"

Nabiki blinked, then grinned. "Akane, you _do_ remember what Mr. Saotome said about his _son's_ curse, right?" She watched as her sister processed that information. Nabiki could almost see the gears turning in Akane's head.

A strange girl is using the bath - Mr. Saotome has magic curse that turns him into a panda - claims his son has a curse that changes him into a girl - strange girl is really Mr. Saotome's son using freaky curse to peep on her in the bath.

Nabiki took a step back as Akane was glowing a bright red. She looked at the girl and hooked a thumb toward Akane. "That is what she looks like when she's _powered up_."

Akane smashed her fist into the other girl's face, then stalked out of the bath.

Ranma checked her nose. "Ouch. She's got some potential -"

Kasumi turned to her sister. "Maybe we should let her finish her bath."

Nabiki smirked as she turned to Ranma. "Are you sure you don't want one of us to scrub your back?"

"_Nabiki_!" Kasumi was nearly as red as a tomato. She pulled her sister out of the bath by the arm. "Dinner will be ready shortly, Ranma."

Ranma dumped another bucket of water over her head to finishing rinsing out the shampoo. "Thanks, Kasumi. I'll be right out."

Shortly thereafter, Ranma was once more male and seated at the low table as Kasumi served dinner. He took a bowl of rice from her and smiled. "Thanks a lot Kasumi!"

Kasumi blushed and fought hard to stay calm. "You're welcome, Ranma."

Akane glared at the pair, then returned to giving deadly looks Ranma's direction. She was still smoldering over the incident in the bath.

Ranma gave his father a warning glance. "Don't even think about trying to steal my dinner, Pop." He let a little of his ki show.

Genma froze in mid-grab, then sat back and laughed. "Why Ranma! I'm surprised you'd think your father would ever do such a thing." He continued laughing as Ranma scowled.

Nabiki cleared her throat, then addressed Ranma. "So, care to explain how you managed to age a few years in the last month?"

Ranma looked up from his bowl of rice. He tapped his chin with his chopsticks. "That's a _long_ story. You really want to hear it?"

Nabiki nodded. "It's probably something we should know since one of us is expected to marry you."

Ranma started at that, then nodded. "Okay. Well, I should probably start with how I met Korin." He ignored the startled look his father gave.

"Pop had just finished training me in the neko-ken." He held up a hand to forestall the anticipated question. "The neko-ken is supposed an undefeatable technique. To train someone, you tie them up with fish sausages and throw them in a pit of starving cats. The trainee then learns to fight like a cat - the hard way. Unfortunately, to use the neko-ken, you have to be in a fear-induced berserker state."

The Tendos all stared at him.

Akane voiced their disbelief. "You've _got_ to be kidding! What _idiot_ would actually think training like that would work?"

Everyone looked at Mr. Saotome.

"What? It worked! You saw his stance out there earlier."

Ranma glared at him, then resumed his tale. "Unfortunately, it also left me deathly afraid of cats."

Genma wailed. "Oh, to have such a worthless son as to be scared of a few helpless little cats -"

Ranma stopped him with a backhand. "So anyway, my fear of cats made Pop go a little crazy with training. Seems he signed an agreement with Mom that we would commit seppuku if I didn't turn out to be a man among men, and he figured Mom would think of being scared of cats as unmanly."

Genma fell over in shock. "_How did you learn about that_!"

Ranma glared at his father. "Kami told me."

Nabiki interrupted at this point. "Kami? As in Kami-sama?"

Ranma nodded. "So anyway, Pop heard this tale that anyone who climbed Korin's Tower could drink the holy water and become super strong. I guess he figured that might compensate for my fear of cats."

Nabiki was still stuck on the previous point. "_You_ - you've met _Kami-sama_?"

Ranma nodded. "He's really very nice. You'd like him."

Kasumi smiled. "Well, one would assume he's very nice, what with being Kami-sama and all."

Genma scowled. "Quit kidding around, boy. If you've been digging through my things -"

Ranma interrupted. "He also told me about the Kuonji's and Daikoku's."

Genma flipped a bucket of water over his head and pulled out a beach ball. He played with it for a moment, then pulled out a sign. 'I'm just a cute little panda.'

Ranma rolled his eyes. "Before long, we were at Korin's Tower. Naturally, I'm supposed to climb it and get the holy water." He took the opportunity to grab some pickles off his father's plate. "Well, it took me almost four days to climb the stupid thing. When I finally reach the top, someone calls to me. Unfortunately, it turned out Korin is a cat. I slipped into the neko-ken and the next thing I remember is being back on the ground and Pop kicking me awake." He glared at the panda.

"Since I didn't get the holy water, Pop makes me climb the tower again - and I go into the neko-ken again. Then he makes me climb the tower _again_." Ranma looks thoughtful. "I don't remember anything when I'm in the neko-ken, but finally one time I climb the tower and Korin doesn't trigger the neko-ken. He was still a bit scary, but I could control the fear. He said I was the first person he'd seen who was able to overcome the neko-ken induced fear."

Nabiki seemed thoughtful. "So now you aren't scared of cats - or at least you can control the fear." She noticed Ranma nod. "What about the holy water?"

Ranma snorted. "Turned out to be regular water. What makes you stronger was climbing the tower so many times." He paused a moment. "He did have these beans. They cure any injuries and restore your strength. Eating one was the same as getting ten days worth of food."

"What? And you didn't get your old man some?" Genma was human again, and held a fist aloft. "Anyhow, all my training paid off. The boy is a credit to my skills as a teacher -" He was cut off as Ranma backhanded him again, knocking him senseless.

"So that was how I met Korin. We'll skip a lot of other equally brainless training by my brainless father. He probably told you about Jusenkyou, right?" He noticed all the nods. "He told you about the ninjas, demons, and a dragon?" More nods. Ranma rolled his eyes and sighed. Pop was _way_ too predictable. "You can safely ignore all that."

Nabiki sighed. "Thank goodness. If he added any more ninjas to the tale each time he told it, you two would have been fighting half the population of China."

Ranma looked non-plussed. "Yeah, I kind of figured Pop would drag out the ninjas and such. The real story is we were just stupid and used the training grounds without finding out anything about it first. We were lucky we got away with relatively innocuous curses." He looked pensive for a moment. "Not that I felt that way at the time. I had just gotten cursed to turn into a girl and it was really causing me trouble with the chauvinistic attitude Pop had instilled in me."

Everyone frowned at Genma's unconscious body.

"Anyway, we arrived at this village of women warriors. They were having a tournament and had arranged a huge feast for the winner. Me and Pop were rather hungry at that point and instead of waiting to see what was what, we set on the food like a couple of starving dogs."

Akane frowned. "That isn't the way your father tells it." She looked at Genma, then back to Ranma. "Riiiiiight. You were saying?"

Ranma continued. "So anyway, this purple-haired girl wins the tournament, only to find us pigging out on her prize. The guide tells us she's mad about us eating her prize, so I challenge her for it." Ranma laughed, embarrassed, while rubbing the back of his head. "Well, I forgot how strong I'd gotten in my training and didn't quite hold back enough. I wound up kicking her completely out of the village and all the way back to Jusenkyou. Everyone is standing around stunned while I'm trying to stammer out some kind of apology when this old mummy appears balanced on a staff. Turned out to be the girl's great-grandmother. So I explain about my training and our curses."

Akane interrupted. "I imagine she was pretty upset about her great-granddaughter."

Ranma looked thoughtful. "She was at first, but after she found out I was a guy, she was actually pretty happy. It seems they have these strange laws - if an outsider girl beats one of their warriors, they are supposed to give them the _kiss of death_ and chase them around the world until they kill them. If a guy beats them, they are supposed to give them the _kiss of marriage_. I was feeling pretty bad right then, having been cursed, and now finding out I was supposed to marry some girl I didn't know and had just beaten in a fight. That's when I thought of Korin and those beans. Even if they couldn't cure my curse, I figured Korin may know of a cure."

Genma was up again as he took over the story. "So I sent Ranma on ahead as I returned to Japan."

Ranma frowned. "You wanted to go too, but got scared when the old mummy said she was going with me."

Nabiki thought about it. "So she went along to keep an eye on her great-granddaughter's fiance, huh?"

"That's what I thought at first, but actually, it turned out she was an old friend of Korin's. She climbed the tower herself almost three hundred years ago." Ranma nodded. "In fact, she brought her great-granddaughter with us since she got cursed as a result of our fight, and made her climb the tower while we flew on ahead."

Akane scoffed. "People can't fly!"

Everyone ignored her as Ranma continued.

"Turns out Korin didn't know of any cure beyond using the dragonballs -"

"There's no such thing -" Akane interrupted him, but fell silent as Nabiki elbowed her in the ribs.

Ranma nodded his thanks. "However, he thought perhaps Kami might know something. It turned out that Kami's Lookout is right over top of Korin's Tower. So while Korin waited for Shampoo - uh - that's Cologne's great-granddaughter, we flew on up to Kami's Lookout."

Genma started to open his mouth.

"Kami told me about Happosai."

Genma went back to playing with his beach ball.

"So what was Kami-sama like?" Kasumi had a gleam in her eye.

"Hm - well, it turns out that Kami-sama is a position usually filled by someone chosen by leaders in the spirit world. The previous being to hold the position was in essence killed by Cell. So the current Kami-sama is relatively young. He's got a talent for healing. Oh, and he's green."

Akane frowned. "Now you're just making things up! Kami-sama is not some green kid with a doctor's degree!"

Nabiki and Kasumi frowned at their sister.

Ranma looked angry. "Just what is your problem?"

All the girls looked sad. It was Kasumi who answered.

"Mother - was killed by Cell."

Ranma berated himself for getting angry. "I thought everyone Cell killed was brought back by the dragonballs once Cell was defeated."

It was Mr. Tendo who spoke. "She had already been brought back once with the dragonballs."

Ranma winced. The dragonballs wouldn't bring someone back to life a second time. "Sorry. I didn't know."

Akane looked furious. "There's no such thing!"

Mr. Tendo continued. "It was when Akane was little - almost too young to remember."

Genma stood next to his old friend and training partner. "It was before we left on our training trip. Soun and I scoured the land to find the dragonballs to bring her back."

Akane looked shocked. "_What_?" She looked at her father. "Daddy?"

He nodded. "It's all true. The dragonballs can bring back anyone once, so long as their death wasn't of natural causes. When your mother was killed, I knew I wouldn't have been able to care for you girls properly by myself. We'd heard of the dragonballs from our old master, so Genma and I gathered them to bring her back. But having done so, they were unable to bring her back after Cell -" He broke off, unable to continue.

Kasumi looked at Ranma hopefully. "Do - do you think Kami-sama can do anything."

Ranma shook his head regretfully. "Kami made the dragonballs, so if the dragon can't do it, Kami won't be able to either." He noticed the downcast expressions. "But, it never hurts to ask, right? I suppose we could always check on it."

Nabiki blinked away tears. She hated getting emotional. "Sorry Ranma. We seemed to have hijacked your story. So you and this - Cologne - fly up to Kami's Lookout to ask after a cure for your curse -"

Ranma picked up where he left off. "Kami told us that the dragon _could_ get rid of the curse, but he thought it a great waste for a wish from the dragon." Ranma looked thoughtful. "It suddenly struck me that up to that point, I had only been thinking of myself. How the curse was making _me_ miserable - how awful it was for _me_ to be cursed. Here I was bugging Kami-sama to use his great power to remove a minor inconvenience in my life."

Ranma shrugged. "Don't get me wrong, I still hated the curse, but I realized that there are a lot worse things - that even if I did seek the dragonballs, there were far greater things I could ask for than curing my curse. That was when Kami offered a suggestion - he had a room where I could train and get used to the curse. I could spend some time thinking about what I really wanted. In this room, for every day that passed outside the room, a year would pass inside. Cologne urged me to take him up on the offer - that she could give me training I couldn't get elsewhere. So I agreed."

Nabiki thought about it. "So you spent over three years in this room training?"

Ranma laughed. "Not quite. While you can train multiple times in the room, if you spend more than two years in the room at any one time, you're stuck there forever. Cologne and I spent not quite a year in there the first time." Ranma gave them a guilty look. "The problem was, I didn't learn to deal with my problem. I avoided it. In the Room of Space and Time, I wasn't subject to my curse constantly being activated by rain or what-not. I spent most of my time as male. I became arrogant and didn't learn any respect for women, despite my curse. So when we came out the first time, Kami called a friend of his to straighten me out."

"Kami-sama has friends?" Akane looked perplexed.

Ranma rolled his eyes. "As I said before, Kami was new to the post. Before he became Kami, he had several friends from Earth. It's part of why he got picked to be Kami of Earth in the first place. You might actually know this person. His name is Krillin, and he was part of the group that fought Cell." He held a hand out, indicating a short height. "About so high - bald - monk markings on the forehead -"

Kasumi started. "Yes, I remember him. He was in the group that arrived after Mr. Satan at the Cell Games. It was on TV."

Ranma nodded. "I was on my training trip by that time so I never saw it, but we got to be good friends, and he and his wife told me all about it."

Nabiki was puzzled. "His wife? Wasn't he a monk?"

Ranma nodded. "He gave it up and let his hair grow."

"So he taught you to respect women?" Akane looked doubtful.

Ranma shook his head. "No. His wife did." He laughed, embarrassed at the memory.

"You're kidding!" Akane was still doubtful.

"No, seriously. You have to understand, his wife was one of the androids that were causing trouble right before Cell appeared and absorbed them to increase his strength. While they weren't a match for Cell, they were easily stronger than nearly all the fighters here on Earth." Ranma smiled. "When Kami got in touch with Krillin, he had him bring his wife and daughter along."

Akane snorted. "Now you're making things up again! How can an android have a baby?"

"I thought the same thing at first. It turned out they were actually cyborgs, not androids. Dr. Gero had captured a couple of run-aways and altered them." Ranma explained. "So anyway, we all went back in the Room of Space and Time, and Eighteen - that was his wife's name - literally kicked my ass for the next year."

Ranma winced as he thought about the time. "It was rather humbling to have a woman kicking my butt like it was nothing while her little baby girl claps and cheers her on. She even made me stay as a guy during our fights so I couldn't use the curse as an excuse for losing. If it weren't for the senzu beans we brought along, I'd have been in pretty bad shape." He laughed. "Krillin would watch their daughter while we fought, and once she was done smashing me to a pulp, she'd go get her kid and Krillin would come peel me off the ground and give me a senzu bean."

Ranma smiled. "After a year, they had to go. I went back in with Cologne and spent the next year and half in my cursed form. Cologne taught me a few more special techniques that she hadn't been willing to show me the first time. By the time I was done, I had accepted my curse and grown strong enough to hold off changing while in either form."

Nabiki frowned. "But in the bath -"

Ranma shrugged. "When I'm not in public, I don't bother trying to suppress the change. It doesn't really matter, so why waste the energy?"

Genma frowned. "So the key to not changing is -"

Ranma smiled widely. "Finding your center, accepting your curse, and building up a stupidly huge reserve of ki." He was sure Genma would never accomplish it.

Soun clapped a hand on his shoulder. "Well, that's truly a magnificent tale. It takes me back to when I was your age. Now which of my daughters are you going to marry?"

Ranma quit smiling. _Oh yeah, I knew I forgot something_. "Uh - say, Mr. Tendo, while you now know a bit more about me, I know almost nothing about your girls. Suppose we put this off a little while we get to know each other better." He tried to smile like he had been a moment ago.

Soun frowned, but nodded. "Yes, I guess that is reasonable. A week or two shouldn't be a problem, right Saotome?" He looked over at his friend.

Genma noticed Ranma holding a ball of ki the size of a basketball and nodded frantically. "It's fine!"

Ranma dispersed the ki before Soun turned back around. "Well, thanks for the great meal, Kasumi." He smiled at the eldest sister.

Nabiki noticed how she stuttered and blushed. As Ranma left the room, she grabbed a few dishes and followed Kasumi back to the kitchen. "So what do you think of Mr. Saotome's son now? Still too young? Not too boring, is he?" She smiled as Kasumi nearly dropped the dishes she held.

"Nabiki!" Kasumi gave her a stern look. "Just because he's about the same age, and really well built, and fairly good looking, and well traveled, and apparently on a first name basis with Kami-sama -" she trailed off, lost in fantasies.

Nabiki laughed. "I know what you mean. I actually find myself interested as well. Who'd have thought it?"

Kasumi nodded. "Well, Father has given us some time to get to know each other better, so I suggest we use it."

Nabiki smirked. "As in, you go out with him this weekend, and I go out with him the next, then we get together and compare notes?"

Kasumi blushed again and muttered under her breath. "Well, something like that." She started on the dishes. "What about Akane?"

Nabiki frowned. "What about Akane? I think she's made it abundantly clear that she wants nothing to do with this. It's pretty obvious that she's too young to even contemplate a long term relationship."

Kasumi gave her a knowing look. "And you are, Miss Just-a-Year-Older Ice Queen of Furinkan High?"

Nabiki brushed her off. "Maybe I'm just too mature for those little high school games boys my age want to play."

Kasumi smiled. "Sure you are." She sighed. "None of us have much to brag about in that particular area of life."

Nabiki smiled. "And Ranma here has that breath of life that might allow one of us to break free from our otherwise drab existence."

Kasumi nodded. "Are we bad people for wishing for more than we have?"

Nabiki shook her head. "No, just human." She paused at the doorway. "Word of advice, Sis - it strikes me that Ranma isn't used to these _games_ the rest of us play. If you really want him, you're going to have to be honest and direct."

Kasumi gave her a serious look. "Isn't that something you're not used to being?"

Nabiki gave her a shark-like grin. "Just levels the playing field between us, Sis."

_End Chapter One_

* * *

Author's Notes: This story takes place just before the Buu saga. Ranma has been adjusted to a DBZ style of training and strength level for humans. This is my biggest complaint when most people do Ranma / DBZ cross-overs - a training trip like Ranma undertook would at least leave him at a similar level to Krillin. About the Room of Space and Time - otherwise known as the Hyperbolic Time Chamber - if you went by what is said about it's use, you could only enter it twice, for no more than two years total, and in no more than groups of two. But that can't be the case because in the Buu saga, Goten, Trunks, Piccolo, and Buu all enter at the same time, and it is implied that Vegeta used it more than twice. You can't take blanket statements at face value in DBZ since people often are telling stories about which they are misinformed, or often they are lying outright to achieve a result they want. They told Vegeta outright that he HAD to go in with a partner so that he would have some time alone with his son, Trunks. Given all that and the fact that this is an alternate universe story, I've adopted some more lax rules: any number of people can use it any number of times, as long as they don't stay in for longer than two years during any one stay. If there are any other questions about DBZ rules in the story, I'll address them later. By the way, while Kami did tell Ranma a number of things that would be useful in dealing with his father, he didn't tell Ranma everything. Where would be the fun in that?


	2. The Games We Play

Ranma 1/2 is the property of Rumiko Takahashi and Viz Communications.  
Dragonball is the property of Akira Toriyama and Funimation.

* * *

How the Mighty are Fallen  
by Joe Fenton  
Chapter 2: The Games We Play  


* * *

Nabiki woke to what sounded like thunder. A quick glance out the window revealed nothing but clear skies. She settled back in bed only to be disturbed by another thunderous rumble. She sighed and got up as she knew she'd never get back to sleep now. She gathered her bath supplies so she could have a quick scrub before breakfast.

Downstairs, she started toward the bath, then stopped as she noticed Kasumi seated on the porch and her father standing next to her. Nabiki moved over to the sliding doors and looked out into the yard, curious about what they were watching.

Outside, Genma seemed to be performing some odd kata. Two things struck Nabiki - first was the speed at which he was moving, at times becoming a blur too fast to be seen clearly. Nabiki had never seen that speed out of the elder Saotome in the two weeks he had been staying with them. Second, the kata was strange and unfamiliar. Having watched Akane practice the Tendo school of Unrestricted Grappling, she felt that the Saotome school should be relatively similar. What she saw bore no resemblance to anything she'd seen her little sister perform.

She sat next to Kasumi, still holding a rinse bucket with her bath supplies. "That's an unusual kata Uncle Genma's doing."

"He's not performing a kata, he's fighting Ranma."

Now Nabiki never considered herself a morning person, but there was no way she could have missed seeing Ranma had he been present. She frowned and squinted in the bright morning sunlight. After a minute, she swore something was right on the edge of her perception. Something about the strange motions Mr. Saotome was making - something almost glimpsed.

Mr. Saotome crossed his arms in front of him in a block as another thundering shock wave shook the house, blowing back Kasumi's and Nabiki's hair. For just a split second, Nabiki could almost swear she made out a figure in the air at the tail end of an ax kick. The blow sent Mr. Saotome sliding backwards almost to the wall surrounding the property, his feet carving deep ruts in the dirt.

"No way."

Genma frowned. "Careful, Ranma. We are trying to avoid any damages."

Ranma blinked into view, hovering in the middle of the yard. "Sorry, Pop. It's just a little hard to hold back that much."

Nabiki sat in shock. "_No way_!" This was well beyond anything she'd ever seen. As fast as Mr. Saotome had been moving, his son had been that much faster. Ranma blinked out of sight as Genma leapt back into the middle of the yard, resuming their fight.

Nabiki glanced at her father, watching as he glanced back and forth, sometimes at odds to where Mr. Saotome was currently. Another glance at Kasumi showed her mimicking his moves.

"How can you see what's going on?"

Her father kept watching the nearly invisible fight. "It's more about feeling the power being expended than actually seeing what's happening. Your eyes aren't really fast enough for that."

Kasumi nodded. "It's like feeling a bonfire, or looking at the sun with your eyes closed."

Soun smiled. "Yes, exactly."

Nabiki sighed and stood up. "I'm going to take a bath." She grinned. "If Ranma finishes early, tell him he's welcome to join me."

Kasumi flushed. "Nabiki!"

Nabiki chuckled as she headed back to the bath.

Kasumi stood and sighed too. "Well, I need to get back to working on breakfast. They're bound to be hungry after their fight." She headed for the kitchen, leaving Soun to watch the pair.

A little later, the Saotomes finished their spar. They were conversing with Soun as Akane came jogging through the front gate. She kicked off her jogging shoes and went upstairs for her bath supplies. She stopped downstairs at the kitchen.

"Hey Kasumi! I'm back." She glanced around. "Where's _him_? I want to take a bath."

Kasumi could hear the emphasis on the word. "Ranma and his father are outside talking with Daddy after the sparring match they had. Nabiki's in the bath right now."

Akane headed back to the bath. She left her clothes in the hamper and entered the inner bath. Inside, Nabiki was lounging in the furo. She glanced up as Akane entered.

"Damn! I was hoping you were Ranma."

Akane frowned. "What?"

Nabiki laughed. "Just kidding!" She leaned on her elbows on the edge of the furo. "You really missed something this morning. Ranma and his dad were really going at it."

Akane sniffed as she scrubbed down. "It couldn't have been that much. They weren't fighting when I left, and were done before I got back." She rinsed off. "Doesn't sound like they have much stamina."

Nabiki grinned at her. "More than you have."

Akane just growled.

In the kitchen, Ranma stopped for a sports drink, needing it after the sparring match. He tossed one to Genma as he passed.

Kasumi paused in her cooking. "Ah, Ranma. Nabiki and Akane are in the bath right now. While Nabiki said she didn't mind you sharing the bath, I rather doubt Akane shares her sentiment."

Ranma choked and sprayed a mouthful of his drink onto Genma, who promptly changed into a panda.

"Sorry, Pop." He gave Kasumi a nervous laugh. "Thanks for the warning, Kasumi. I think I'll wait."

Genma held up a sign. 'Can I get some hot water?'

Kasumi passed him the kettle.

"Thank you, Kasumi." He handed the kettle back, then drained half the sports drink. He nodded at Ranma. "I don't think you'll have any trouble at the budokai."

"What's that?" Nabiki entered the kitchen, dressed for school.

Ranma turned to address her. "The 25th World Martial Arts Tournament. Some of my friends plan to enter, so I'm going to as well. A rival of mine should also be there."

"And don't forget about the prize money!" Genma had a greedy look on his face Nabiki had come to recognize.

"So you were practicing for the tournament." She certainly felt after this morning's fight that Ranma would probably do well.

Ranma nodded. "Actually, I had Pop holding back to simulate a lesser opponent."

Nabiki tried to figure that one out. "Huh?"

Ranma laughed. "Well, I don't want to get disqualified for going too hard on my opponent if he's not on the same level. There's a big difference between most martial artists and the level me and my friends fight at."

Nabiki nodded, finally seeing the connection. "I've noticed." She eyed Genma. "So he was holding back some?" It was hard to imagine.

Ranma nodded again. "Don't let his size fool you, he's actually much faster and still has some tricks I haven't been able to beat out of him."

Genma frowned. "Show some respect for your elders, Boy!"

Ranma gave him a raspberry. "Make me." He turned to Nabiki. "Is Akane out of the bath?"

Nabiki bit back the urge to say _yes_. Ranma probably wouldn't appreciate that so soon after the last incident. "I'm not sure. After the other day, you'd best wait until you see her _not_ in the bath before taking your own."

Ranma grimaced. "Yeah. Good idea."

"What's a good idea?" Akane entered the kitchen to find out what everyone was talking about. She was dressed for school as well.

"Nothing." Ranma laughed nervously, pretty sure that any discussion involving Akane and the bath would probably end badly. "I'm going to go clean up for breakfast." Ranma left quickly.

Akane frowned, still angry about yesterday's incident. "What's everyone talking about?"

Soun entered the kitchen as well. "I imagine they were discussing the upcoming budokai. Ranma is going to enter."

Akane brightened. "Can I enter too?"

Soun frowned. "My little girl? Fight those _brutes_?" He grabbed Akane in a strangling hug and started to cry as the girl struggled to get free. "What would your poor mother say if I let her little baby get hurt in a fight?"

Akane finally managed to work herself free, falling on her rear as she popped free from Soun's arms. She growled. "Daddy! I'm not a little kid! I'm a martial artist too! I've been in plenty of matches before."

Mr. Saotome shook his head. "Not like this one. This is a world-class event. You'd be facing people like Ranma."

Akane's battle aura flashed into being as she was reminded of her current nemesis. She shot to her feet. "I can take that pervert any time!"

The others just stared at her.

"What?" She glanced around, taking in the disbelieving stares. Even Kasumi was looking at her like she'd lost her mind. "I can, and I will! Just let me enter the tournament and I'll prove who's best!"

Nabiki rolled her eyes, then addressed her father. "Let her enter. If she can qualify, she should be allowed to try." She shrugged. "Besides, it's not _too_ dangerous. You're disqualified if you kill your opponent, so the odds are slim that she'll die - just get horribly maimed."

Akane had been nodding, then the last part registered. "Hey!" She whirled to face her smirking sister.

Kasumi frowned. "That's enough!" The outburst startled everyone present. "I need to get breakfast served, so take it out of the kitchen." She made shooing gestures. "So, get out!"

Ranma found everyone settled around the table, glaring at each other. "Okay... what'd I miss?"

Kasumi smiled as she appeared behind him. "Nothing much. Please, have a seat. Breakfast is ready."

Ranma settled next to his father as Kasumi started serving breakfast.

Nabiki noticed he was dressed normally. "Not to pry or anything, but are you attending school?"

Ranma shook his head. "When I was training in the Room of Space and Time, I finished all my high school studies. There really isn't much to do if you aren't training. There's no TV, no newspapers or magazines - so I brought all my school books with me."

Nabiki thought about it. "If you haven't done so already, I'm sure I can set you up for the equivalency tests. After that, you might think about going to college."

Ranma nodded as he ate his rice. "It's one of the reasons I'm entering the tournament. If I can place at least fifth, it would really help pay the bills."

Akane smirked. "So the great Ranma Saotome isn't even sure about making the semi-finals?"

Ranma shook his head. "If I get a bad draw, I could face someone better right off the bat."

Soun nodded. "As long as he fights well, it'll be good advertising for the school, but he wouldn't get any prize money."

Akane thought about it. "I suppose you're right. You could draw Mr. Satan as your first match." She was surprised as most of those seated at the table choked on their breakfast as they fought to keep from laughing.

Ranma fought to control his scorn for the man. "Uh - yeah. Something like that."

Genma frowned. "Are the people entering really that strong?"

Ranma nodded. "Gohan came to Kami's Lookout to tell Piccolo that he and some of the others were going to enter." He ticked off the names on his fingers. "I know that Gohan, his father Goku, Vegeta, Krillin, his wife Eighteen, and Videl are going to enter."

Akane didn't recognize any of the names beyond the last three. Krillin and Eighteen were in his story the other day, but the last one she knew well.

"Videl? Mr. Satan's daughter? She'll be in it too?"

Ranma nodded. "Yeah. She's been training with Gohan from what I picked up."

"Wow..." Akane settled back, daydreaming of her and Videl fighting in the finals to determine the best in the world.

Ranma was puzzled, but decided it was best not to ask what the girl was thinking. He returned to the original topic. "I know for a fact that Gohan, Goku, and Vegeta are all stronger than Eighteen, and she can kick my butt pretty handily." He frowned. "I'm not sure exactly how strong Piccolo is, but I know he's pretty close to her level."

The two fathers exchanged a look.

Mr. Tendo sighed. "Well, just do your best and hope for a good draw."

Genma thought of something. "You said a rival would probably be there - which one would that be?" He tried to remember any of Ranma rivals who might be good enough to enter.

"That would be Ryoga." He noticed the blank look on his father's face. "Yeah, I didn't remember him either - until Kami pointed him out to me." He looked embarrassed. "It's another long story - but not as long as the last one."

Nabiki couldn't curb her curiosity. Ranma had such great stories. "Well, don't keep us in suspense."

"It was in my last year of junior high - lunch time was a real battle as everyone fought over the last of the bread. Naturally, I managed to snag the last piece every time."

Akane snorted. "_Naturally_."

"One of the boys there was a martial artist as well. He didn't take too well to my getting the last piece every day, so one day he finally challenged me."

Nabiki and Kasumi were intrigued, while Akane rolled her eyes.

Kasumi prompted him to continue. "So what happened?"

Ranma sighed. "The problem was, he has this really bad sense of direction. The fight was to be in the lot behind his house, but he never made it."

Genma suddenly remembered the incident. "That's why you wanted to stay in that lot!"

Ranma nodded. "After three days, we finally gave up and left for China." Ranma laughed nervously. "Well, it seems he turned up the day after we left."

Nabiki thought about it. "Let me guess - he got angry that you weren't there and swore revenge."

"Something like that." Ranma rubbed the back of his head. "He followed us to China."

Nabiki suddenly pointed. "Don't tell me he -"

Ranma interrupted. "Yep."

Akane frowned. "Some of us aren't mind readers, so it would be better if you just told us what happened."

Ranma rolled his eyes. "He got cursed, the same as me and Pop." He sighed. "It was partly my fault. I was chasing Pop around so I could strangle him after we got cursed. I wasn't paying any attention to what I was doing and knocked him into a pool."

Akane looked non-plussed. "You really make people happy wherever you go, don't you?"

Nabiki elbowed her in the side, then addressed the younger Saotome. "So what does he turn into?"

Ranma thought a moment. "Uh - I don't think I should say. It doesn't matter to the story in any case." He resumed the story. "When I was done training at Kami's lookout, Kami pointed out Ryoga to me, then reminded me of my responsibility in the matter. So I went down and rescued Ryoga before he could get eaten -" He broke off. "Uh, forget that last part."

He sighed. "Anyhow, I brought Ryoga up to Kami's Lookout, explained to him how the Room of Time and Space worked, and showed him how I controlled my curse. Then I let him know that I would be fighting in the budokai and he could settle our grievances by entering as well."

He resumed eating breakfast as the others thought about it.

Nabiki was the first to remember something from the previous day. "What about that girl you beat? Shampoo?"

Ranma blinked. "Uh - last I knew, she was climbing Korin's Tower. I'm sure her great-grandmother is taking care of her."

Akane smiled. "Isn't she supposed to give you the _kiss of marriage_ since you beat her?"

Ranma squirmed nervously. "Well, she hasn't managed to yet, so as long as I avoid her, that shouldn't be a problem."

Nabiki made the connection. "And if she shows up at the tournament?"

Ranma looked blank. "Uh -"

Akane laughed. "Knowing your luck, you'll have to fight her in the first round." She smirked. "So what is the great Ranma Saotome going to do? Beat her and have to marry her, or lose and be out of the tournament?"

Ranma went completely white.

Genma frowned. "Let's not assume too much here. She might not even come. She might not qualify. She might have to fight someone else."

Soun nodded. "We should just wait and see what happens." He frowned. "Besides, Ranma is to marry one of you girls, not some girl from China, no matter what their barbarian laws dictate."

Akane looked like she was going to say more, but was interrupted by Nabiki.

"Would you look at the time... we have to run or we'll be late to school!" She grabbed her school bag. "Bye everyone!" She leaned over and whispered into Ranma's ear. "I'll see you in a few hours, Ranma."

Ranma gave the girl a puzzled look as she left the house, closely followed by her sister. "Now what was that supposed to mean?"

* * *

A few hours later, he was to figure that out.

Kasumi handed him a bento. "Nabiki forgot her lunch this morning. Could you take it over to Furinkan High? I've got to go shopping for dinner."

Ranma sighed. "So that was her plan." He smiled at Kasumi. "Of course. No problem." He took the boxed lunch, stepped outside, and took off into the sky.

Kasumi watched him fly off with a slight smile, then shook her head. "I've got to get going myself." She grabbed her canvas bag and left for the market.

Ranma circled above the town. "School, school, where the heck is the school..." He really should have asked for directions. He spotted an athletic field next to some buildings and dropped down out of the sky. His descent interrupted a group of girls playing baseball.

Ranma was getting a strange feeling as they all stared. "Uh - this wouldn't happen to be Furinkan High, would it?" A quick glance around showed no boys around at all.

One of the girls shook her head, the single pony tail off the side of her head swishing back and forth. "Why would you wish to go there in any case? I think you'll find things far more - accommodating - here at Saint Hebereke."

Ranma was _definitely_ getting nervous as more of the girls got _that_ look in their eyes.

A bit later Ranma landed just slightly away from Furinkan High School. He checked the sign by the gates, then hopped over the wall.

"Ranma!"

He noticed Nabiki waving from a second floor window. After a quick check around, he hopped up to the sill. He handed her the bento.

"Thank you, Ranma! That was soooo sweet of you to bring me my lunch." She smiled at the young man.

Some of girls in the class stared. Nabiki? Flirting with a guy? A few felt it appropriate to faint in shock.

Ranma frowned. "You forgot it on purpose, didn't you?"

Nabiki affected an innocent look. "Who, me?"

Ranma sighed. "At least I got the school right this time."

Nabiki frowned. "What do you mean?"

Ranma looked a little nervous. "You - uh - know the girl's school a few miles that way?" He hooked a thumb over his shoulder. "I might have gone there first."

"Don't tell me stopped by Saint Hebereke? Those girls are the most boy-starved pack of -" She stopped as she noticed the disarray of his clothes. "I see - you already found that out."

Ranma laughed self-consciously. "I've never been happier I wear weighted clothes."

Nabiki stared, then burst into laughter. This caused the remaining students in the class to keel over unconscious.

Nabiki shook her head in mirth. "Ranma, Ranma, Ranma. Only you could make taking someone their lunch into an adventure."

The door slid open sharply and a tall young man wearing hakama pants entered, a bokken held at ready.

Nabiki frowned. "What are you doing here, Kuno. Shouldn't you be tormenting my sister?"

The young man frowned as well. "Whilst wooing the fair Akane, I did happen to hear your evil cackling and came forthwith to thwart your vile machinations." He glanced around at the unconscious students. "I perceive my fears were justified."

Ranma joined in the group frown. "Well, he has a decent vocabulary, but no points for style."

Kuno turned his attention to the young man in the window. "You are not a student in our fine institution. Identify yourself or face my blade!"

Ranma started to introduce himself. "I'm Ranma -"

Kuno interrupted. "Ah, but should not your betters precede you?" He pointed the wooden sword at Ranma. "Very well! Know that I am Tatewaki Kuno, sophomore, captain of the kendo club, also known far and wide as the Blue Thunder!"

Ranma looked non-plussed. "Is it my turn now, or do you wish to bore us with more minutiae of your _incredible_ high school existence?"

The young man looked annoyed. "You mock the mighty Blue Thunder of Furinkan High?" He moved into a offensive stance, holding the bokken in both hands. "I shall teach you to mind your betters, cur!"

Ranma snorted. The boy couldn't even put bruise on him if he held still. However, there was Nabiki to consider. He hooked a thumb over his shoulder, out the open window he was perched in. "Let's take it outside." He flipped backwards off the window sill.

Kuno rushed past Nabiki. "I accept your challenge!" He leapt through the window as well - and promptly fell two stories to the ground below.

Ranma winced as the boy plowed head-first into the ground. He shook his head. "What was he thinking? Jumping from the second floor when he doesn't know how to fall, much less fly."

Nabiki smiled at the young man hovering just outside the window. "Not everyone knows how to fly."

Ranma laughed. "Imagine that!" He sobered up. "Think he's okay?"

Nabiki looked out the window. "Should be fine - he landed on his head."

"Well, I guess I'll be going then." He waved, then shot off into the sky.

Nabiki pouted. "You could have stayed for lunch." She sighed as she prepared to eat one of Kasumi's fabulous lunches.

Outside, Akane frowned as she noticed Kuno out cold. She flipped him over with a foot, then gave a startled cry as his eyes snapped open.

Kuno jumped to his feet and started thrashing about with his bokken. "Have at you, varlet!" He noticed his opponent was not present. He shook a fist at the sky. "You _dare_ to run off? Coward! You are _no man_!"

Akane sighed. "You have no idea how right you are."

Kuno finally noticed her. "Akane! You have finally decided to admit your feelings and shower me with your love!" He moved to embrace her.

Akane held him off with a foot to the face.

Kuno rubbed his nose. "Dost thou know the vile knave who was speaking with your wretched sibling?"

Akane started to smile, then put on a long face. "It's horrible! He's trying to persuade my father to force me to marry him! He's a pervert who lusts after innocent young girls like myself. He - he tried to _force_ himself on me in the bath yesterday!"

Akane could almost see the volcano go off in Kuno's head as rage overcame him.

Kuno dashed off. "_He will die_! I will make him suffer _most grievously_ whilst he _begs_ for mercy!"

Akane snickered at her subterfuge. "Well, Nabiki. It seems you aren't the only Tendo who can manipulate people."

* * *

Ranma sat in a lotus position next to the koi pond in the Tendo compound. He was still working on his stationary soft qigong training. The pointers he'd gotten from Piccolo, who used this method extensively, had helped him tremendously. Hard training would destroy the compound without nearly as much benefit. There was a knock on the gate. Ranma sighed, then hopped to his feet.

As he opened the gate, a bokken blurred at him.

"_DIE_! _DIE_! _DIE_! _DIE_!" Kuno punctuated each strike with a loud yell.

Ranma easily dodged each thrust. "Is there a problem? Kuno, wasn't it?"

"Prepare yourself for the wrath of heaven! The Magnificent Scion of the Kuno family has come to slay the enemy of all women!" He followed Ranma around the compound as Ranma yawned.

"Well, let me know when he arrives." Ranma smirked as Kuno screamed incoherently and started slashing with abandon. Ranma led the young man in a gradually tightening spiral.

"Ranma! Who is your guest?"

Ranma glanced over to see Kasumi carrying some groceries. He ignored Kuno as he tightened the spiral a little more. "I think he's one of Nabiki classmates. I'll be in to help in a moment. I just have to send Kuno here back to school."

Kasumi nodded and entered the house.

Ranma glanced back at his opponent. "Well, you weren't much, but I do appreciate the opportunity to practice a special move." He punched upward. "Hiryu - Shoten - HA!"

A whirlwind sprang up, catching Kuno in it's winds. The young man was thrown high up into the sky. Ranma shaded his eyes with a hand, watching the fool as he was thrown back in the direction of Furinkan.

"I see you learned your lessons well."

Ranma spun to find the Elder of the Joketsuzoku behind him.

"While I didn't expect to find you showing off secret techniques, you showed fine control - using the winds to send your opponent where you wished."

Ranma laughed nervously. "Sorry about that. It was just the perfect chance to try that for real." He glanced around. "Uh - you didn't happen to bring - _her_ along, did you?"

Cologne cackled, sending shivers up Ranma's spine. "Now if I told you that, I wouldn't have the pleasure of watching you jump at every shadow."

Ranma hooked a thumb at the house. "I gotta help Kasumi with the - stuff. Maybe you'd like to come by later?"

Cologne grinned. "Or maybe you might invite a poor old woman inside?"

Ranma just sighed. He moved over to the porch and called through the sliding doors. "Kasumi?"

The young woman appeared. "Yes, Ranma? Oh!" She started at the appearance of the old woman next to Ranma. At least, she assumed it was a woman.

Ranma gestured at the diminutive figure. "This is Cologne, Elder of the Joketsuzoku. I told you about her yesterday?"

Kasumi bowed. "It is an honor to meet you. I am Kasumi Tendo. Please, come in and have some tea."

Cologne smacked Ranma on the head with her staff as she hopped past.

"Ow! What'd you do that for, old hag!"

Cologne sighed. "At least _she_ has some manners."

Ranma followed the pair inside.

Kasumi poured some tea and waited until Cologne took a sip and nodded.

"So, Elder Cologne. Why is it you are here?"

Cologne smiled at the young lady. At least, Kasumi assumed it was a smile.

"I'm just checking on my prize student." She turned to Ranma. "I understand you're going to enter the World Martial Arts Tournament."

Ranma nodded. "Yeah. We figure it can stir up some interest in the family school."

Cologne smiled. "So you're going to show more secret techniques on a world-wide broadcast."

Ranma fell face first into the table. "No!" He shook his head and calmed down. "Like I said, it's to bring some attention to the family school, so I'll just be using the Saotome school."

Cologne enjoyed his squirming for a moment. "Relax, Ranma. I'm just checking out the tournament to see if there are any other potential members for the tribe."

Kasumi hesitated, then asked. "What about Ranma and your great-granddaughter?"

Cologne thought about letting them suffer, then relented. "Shampoo did not give Ranma the _kiss of marriage_ before he became an honorary member of the tribe. Now that he is a member, she would have to issue an official challenge for marriage, which you are free to decline." It spoiled any more potential fun on that issue, but she was sure something even more fun would present itself shortly. Ranma seemed to have a knack for that.

Cologne was quick to notice that Kasumi breathed as big a sigh of relief as Ranma. This looked to be an interesting visit. She turned back to Ranma. "Go finish your soft training. I wish to speak with Kasumi." It wasn't a request.

Ranma nodded gratefully and fled back outside to train. He hardly noticed the passage of time until Nabiki roused him from his meditation.

"Hey, Ranma." She was still wearing her school uniform and holding her book bag. "When did Kuno learn to fly?"

Ranma started. "What?"

Nabiki frowned. "Well, he came flying down at the end of lunch. He really needs to work on his landings though. If he hadn't hit the pool, he might have broke something."

Ranma sweated. "Well, everybody is doing it these days."

She gave him a skeptical look, then glanced toward the house. "So, who's the old mummy talking with Kasumi?"

Ranma shushed her. "That's Elder Cologne - from my story yesterday - and don't let her hear you refer to her that way if you don't want a headache."

Nabiki frowned. "She here to make sure her great-granddaughter's fiance is keeping his nose clean?"

Ranma gave a sigh of relief. "No. In fact, it seems I'm in the clear on that one. Shampoo didn't give me the kiss before I got accepted into the tribe, and now she has to give a formal challenge which I can decline."

Nabiki looked happy. "Really? Great!" She practically skipped into the house.

Ranma stared after the girl, not quite sure how to take that. He sighed and followed her.

Inside, Kasumi was drinking tea with Cologne. Akane was out cold on the floor next to the table.

Ranma glanced down at the unconscious girl. "Do I want to know what happened?"

Cologne frowned. "Student, you are no longer the most rude and obnoxious person I've ever met."

Ranma clapped his hands together and bowed his head. "Thank you, Kami-sama!"

Cologne smiled. "I don't think Dende had anything to do with that."

Nabiki caught the tail end of the conversation. "Who?"

Cologne gave Nabiki the once over. "Dende is the current Kami of Earth."

Ranma nodded. "Cologne spent some time talking with him while I was training with Eighteen and her family." He looked thoughtful. "I might be rude, but it really didn't feel right to use his name like that."

Nabiki smiled. "So you just use his title in a familiar manner."

Ranma shrugged. "It seemed appropriate."

Cologne set her tea cup down. "So, my student, have you contacted your mother yet?"

Ranma punched himself in the side of the head. "Ahhhh! I _knew_ there was something I was forgetting!" He turned to Nabiki. "Can I borrow your phone?"

Nabiki nodded and led him to it. A few minutes later, he was back at the table, smiling.

Nabiki noticed the smile. "I take it you managed to get a hold of her?"

Ranma nodded. "She's actually on her way over. I was barely able to get a word in before she told me to stay put, that she'd be right over." After so many years, he was looking forward to seeing her.

Genma popped up behind him, pack in hand. "Quick, Boy! We have to go!" He strained vainly to budge Ranma from the table.

Ranma frowned at his father. "I'm not going anywhere. I'm staying here and meeting my mother. After all, I haven't seen her since I was six."

Genma looked greatly disturbed. "You don't understand! If she finds out about your curse, she'll have our heads!"

Ranma waved him off. "I've had a chance to think about it since I heard about the contract from Kami. I think it was just an attempt to try to limit your stupidity during training - not that it had a chance of succeeding with you."

Genma yanked on one of Ranma's arms. "No! You don't understand! You're going to get us both killed!"

Nabiki frowned. Genma was truly afraid of his wife. "Ranma? Did Kami-sama tell you that?"

Ranma shook his head. "When I learned I still had a mother, I pestered him for a few hours, but he refused to tell me more about her." He was still puzzled about that. Kami had just shook his head and mumbled something about not being boring.

Cologne cleared her throat. "It is clear Ranma takes after his mother, so I do not think we need worry about the coming reunion."

Genma redoubled his efforts, doing everything from belittling to outright threats in an attempt to make Ranma leave with him. After almost half an hour of ranting, there was a knock at the door. Genma froze, then shouldered his pack.

"I tried to warn you. I'll be back when she leaves." He dashed out the sliding doors to the yard and leapt the boundary wall.

Ranma abruptly found himself smothered in a back-breaking hug from a woman in a formal kimono and her hair done up in a bun.

"My son! It's been so many years, and now you're finally home!" The lady shoved Ranma out to arms length and gave him a long stare. "You look a little old to be my Ranma. He'd be about sixteen by now."

Kasumi explained. "He spent some time training in a magic room, so he's a few years older than he should be."

Ranma found himself back in the strangling hug again. "WAAAAHHHHHH! I've lost even more time with my son! I've missed his whole childhood!"

Nabiki gave them a sly look. "Don't look at it like that - look at as getting to be a grandmother a few years earlier, thus having more time to spend spoiling your grandchildren rotten."

Ranma's mother redoubled her hugging and crying. "I'm going to be a grandmother!"

Kasumi frowned at her sister. "That wasn't very nice."

Nabiki laughed. "He's a big boy. He can take it." She suddenly found herself the object of the woman's attention.

"So which of you is bearing my grandchild?"

Nabiki's jaw dropped.

Kasumi smirked, just a little. "We haven't yet decided who wishes to marry whom." She found herself scrutinized closely.

The woman backed off a little and nodded. "I will help my son. We'll have one of you married in no time!"

"Nodoka?"

The woman turned at hearing her name. "Soun? It's been too long." She frowned. "Where's that husband of mine?"

Everyone glanced at each other for a moment before Ranma finally spoke.

"He - uh - went to train." He laughed a little as he rubbed the back of his head.

Nodoka shook her head. She noticed the old woman sitting at the table, still sipping her tea. "I'm sorry, we haven't been introduced. I'm Nodoka Saotome, Ranma's mother." She glanced over at Soun. "I wasn't aware that Soun had remarried."

Everyone else but Cologne, who was already seated, fell over in shock. Cologne cackled merrily.

"I'm sorry, my dear. I'm Ranma's teacher in ancient Chinese martial arts. But I do thank you for the compliment." She winked at Soun, who promptly fainted dead away.

Nodoka smiled at her son. "Well, I must admit your father did a _fine_ job. You are certainly a man among men!"

Ranma frowned a little. "That reminds me. I understand that Pop had some kind of contract with you -"

His mother interrupted. "Oh yes! The _contract_." She pulled a paper from her kimono. "I keep it with me. I was so proud when you put your hand prints on it to show your determination." She showed the paper, which indeed had several small hand prints on it.

Nabiki frowned. "You didn't really expect Ranma and his father to abide by that, did you?"

Nodoka looked sober. "It was my solemn duty to make sure the terms of the contract were met, or to serve as their second if they were not." She picked up the cloth-wrapped object she had brought with her. As the cloth came away, the scabbard and hilt of a traditional katana were revealed.

Nodoka drew the blade in a sharp motion. Unfortunately, the blade slipped from her hand. Ranma caught it by the blade inches from Nabiki's forehead, then handed it back to his mother.

She laughed, embarrassed. "Sorry about that. I'm just awful with a sword. I spent all my time practicing one stroke." She demonstrated, doing a fine job of the beheading stroke needed by a second for seppuku.

The others shared a worried look.

Nodoka looked at them with shining eyes. "It's wonderful knowing my boy turned out great and I won't have to be his second as he upholds his end of the contract." She slid the sword back into the scabbard - or tried to. She missed the scabbard and the sword embedded itself into the floor inches from Akane's head.

"Whoops." Mrs. Saotome frowned as she yanked free the sword and carefully slid the sword back in the scabbard. She glanced at the girl. "Who's this, and why is she passed out on the floor?"

Kasumi tried to explain. "This is our youngest sister, Akane. I am Kasumi, and this is my sister Nabiki. As to why Akane is -"

Nodoka waved her explanation off. "No need to explain, Dear. With two such fine older sisters, she obviously fainted at the worry that she'd never have a chance with my son."

Ranma fell on his rear next to the table. "Uh - she _really_ doesn't want to marry me."

His mother shook her head. "She's just a little unsure of herself. With my help, we'll whip her into a fine candidate for your wife!" She held up one fist in triumph.

The others all shared a look. Cologne looked as if she were watching a particularly engrossing show.

Nodoka frowned. "So - how far have you gotten with my son? Any bathroom incidents? Or are you past that yet?"

Nabiki was glad her father was still unconscious. She thought hard. "Well - uh - Ranma _was_ in the bath with Akane yesterday."

"_Nabiki_!" Ranma and Kasumi echoed the yell.

His mother looked ecstatic. "My son is so manly!" She cried tears of joy.

Ranma banged his head against the table.

Suddenly, the front door slammed open and Kuno came charging into the room, bokken at ready.

"_Where is the foul ravager_?"

Nodoka turned to take in the new guest. "Who?'

Kuno bowed. "Excuse me, fair lady. Needs I must smite this abomination!" He pointed his wooden sword at Ranma, who kept banging his head on the table.

Nodoka frowned. "What is your problem with my son?"

Kuno frowned as well. "I find this hard to reveal to such a refined lady - but pray I would warn you - yon cad is a womanizer of the worst sort! A defiler of women! Why, I heard from mine _own sister_ how this lecherous villain tried to have his way with her and many other innocent maidens at Saint Hebereke."

Nodoka stood a moment in silence, tears welling up in her eyes. She suddenly started bouncing around in exuberance. "WAAAAHHHHH! My son is _sooooo_ manly!"

Kuno's jaw and bokken hit the floor. "But Madam! Did you not hear me? This upstart seeks to despoil fine young women such as these -" He gestured at the Tendo sisters.

Nodoka hugged herself. "I'm going to have so many grandchildren!" She was in her own universe.

Nabiki sat down next to Ranma. "Well, Ranma. I don't think you need to worry about that contract."

Ranma kept banging his head against the table.

Cologne sipped her tea and smiled. This was the most fun she'd had in a century.

* * *

After an hour, Kuno tired of trying to convince Mrs. Saotome about Ranma's foul intentions towards the fairer sex. It wasn't that she didn't believe him, she just didn't see the problem with them. Completely frazzled and unable to shake the woman's glee at her son's impending actions, Kuno finally wandered off to contemplate another strategy for confronting the foul demon and his deluded mother.

Much to the dismay of the Tendo sisters, she turned her attention back to more immediate targets.

"So, what are you and my son planning?"

Akane had finally come around and was holding a bag of ice to her head. "Planning? With _him_?" She glared. "He saw me naked in the bath yesterday! He's a pervert!"

Nodoka gave her a hug. "It's good that you are trying to protect your reputation, but you don't need to suppress your impulses around my _manly_ son. Just let yourself go!"

Akane stared at the woman like she had a second head.

Kasumi decided she'd better steer the conversation in a less dangerous direction. "Ranma is taking me out tomorrow."

Ranma looked puzzled. "I am?"

Nabiki elbowed him. "Yes, you are."

Nodoka clapped her hands together. "_Wonderful_! I'll help with the preparations. I know a place with dresses that will drive men wild. Ranma won't be able to keep his hands off you!"

Soun frowned. "I'm not sure -"

Nodoka cut him off. "There's this restaurant not far from here - it has the most romantic atmosphere..."

Soun held up a finger. "Well, that doesn't sound too bad, but about that dress -"

Mrs. Saotome broke in. "And of course, I'll help you pick out some lingerie." She elbowed Kasumi. "You know - for _after_ the date. I'm not sure how much experience you have, but as a married woman, I can give you plenty of pointers."

Kasumi turned red, then white as a sheet.

Akane frowned as Nodoka dragged a weakly protesting Kasumi out the door. "The withered old crone was right, you _do_ take after your mother - you're both the worst perverts I've met." She paused a moment. "Well, other than Kuno of course." She thought about it again. "Or half the boys in my class, or -"

She fell silent again as Cologne whacked her on the head with her staff. Cologne frowned as the girl fell, unconscious once more.

"That girl really needs to be disciplined." She frowned at Soun, who sweated profusely at the attention.

Ranma nodded. "Maybe you could make her a special project or something."

Cologne gave a short barking laugh. "Me? Instruct _her_?"

Ranma shrugged. "Why not? She has some potential, and she could really use the - experience." He gave the elder a sly look. "Unless you're not up to the task, old woman."

Cologne whacked him on the head with her staff. "You may not be the most rude or obnoxious anymore, but you're still second on the list."

Ranma rubbed his bruised head. "So you'll do it?"

Cologne frowned. "Don't think that I'm doing this because of anything _you_ said, I just don't care for the bad reputation she gives women fighters."

Akane groaned and sat up. She glared at Cologne, but held her tongue.

Ranma smiled. "See? She's getting better already - she was only unconscious a few minutes that time."

* * *

The next evening found Ranma and Kasumi ready to leave on their date. Ranma was slightly frazzled as the oldest sister had turned out to be a real knockout in the outfit his mother had purchased for her. With her hair hanging loose and a light amount of makeup, Kasumi would turn heads anywhere.

Kasumi tugged in vain at the super-short skirt on the outfit. She was mortified at the dress, but hadn't been able to convince Ranma's mother to go with something more demure.

Mrs. Saotome frowned at the modest dress Kasumi had managed to talk her into buying. At least, she felt it modest. She watched the pair exit the house, then moved to follow.

Nabiki was waiting at the door. "Going somewhere, Aunty?"

Nodoka nodded. "I'm going to follow them." She waved a hand. "Don't worry, I'll be discrete. I just want to be on hand in case Kasumi needs a little help." She exited the house, trailing the couple a block back.

Akane was next.

Nabiki frowned. "And you, little sister?"

"I just want to be on hand in case Kasumi need a little _help_." She smacked a fist into the palm of her other hand.

Nabiki rolled her eyes as Akane left, trailing Nodoka a block back. She about lost her composure as Cologne appeared at the door.

"Uh - going out, Elder Cologne?"

The old woman cackled. "You think I plan to stay here when all the fun will be out there?" She gestured with her staff, then set off as well, leaping to the roof of the neighbor's house to follow the group from above.

Nabiki shook her head and sighed. She pulled out her cell phone and hit the speed dial.

"Kuno-baby? Yeah, love you too." She rolled her eyes. "I have some info... if the price is right." She held the phone away from her ear for a moment until the volume decreased. "Yes, the same arrangement as usual." She smiled evilly. "Don't worry, this info is definitely worth the price. Akane has decided she cannot fight her feelings for you any longer. She wants to meet you - discretely - at the Toshi Sushi Palace. She'll be hiding in the bushes waiting for you."

She closed the phone with a snap, then shouldered her camera bag. With some luck, she'd have some nice photos for Kasumi to remember the evening, and some embarrassing photos for Akane to never forget the evening. She left, laughing silently.

* * *

Nabiki, Kasumi, and Nodoka sat around the low table, looking over the photos Nabiki had taken the previous evening.

Nabiki held one of Ranma and Kasumi before they left. "Here's the happy couple - that turned out rather well, wouldn't you say Kasumi?"

Kasumi took the photo from her, smiling.

Nodoka frowned until Nabiki passed her a copy. "I've got the negatives in case we need more or you want a larger print."

Nodoka smiled. "You make such a nice couple."

Nabiki had to agree, which made her a little jealous. She sighed, then picked up another photo.

"And here's one of Akane and her date." Said photo was more of an action shot as Akane kicked Kuno between the legs.

Nodoka frowned. "Now Akane, how do you expect to catch a man when you react to such a minor thing in such a manner?"

Akane glared at the group at the table. She stomped out the sliding doors, headed for the dojo. "I'm going to practice those exercises Cologne showed me this morning." She was doing anything she could to get the previous evening off her mind.

Kasumi scooped up another. "Here's one of Ranma saving me from the ninjas Kuno-san hired to break up our date."

Nodoka frowned. Events had conspired to spoil all her carefully laid plans. She sighed. At least her son had the chance to show how manly he was in battle, but it wasn't getting her any grandchildren.

She blinked at the next one. "Nabiki? What is this?"

Nabiki glanced at the photo Mrs. Saotome referred to. "Oh, that's the demon hunters attacking Cologne."

The elder popped up at the mention of her name. She frowned at the photo. "Imagine, mistaking _me_ for Happosai." At least the fight had been fun.

Nodoka held up one of a young woman wearing a leotard and wielding a gymnastics ribbon. "Who was this?"

Nabiki gave it a glance. "That's Tatewaki's sister, Kodachi." She frowned at the thought of the girl chasing _her_ Ranma.

Kasumi stood. "Well, I have to start on lunch. I'll look through the rest later."

She stopped next to Ranma, who was leaning against the wall. "While things might not have gone as anyone planned, it was still the best evening in my life. Thank you." She smiled at the young man, then entered the kitchen.

Ranma blushed. "Uh - you're welcome."

Nabiki continued sorting through the pictures with Nodoka.

"If it's all the same with you, Ranma, I think it'd be best to put off our date until after the tournament." She sighed. "Maybe they'll have the restaurant rebuilt by then as well."

Ranma laughed nervously, then muttered under his breath. "Like they'll let any of us near the place again." He too exited the house. He needed to do some more soft training in preparation for the upcoming tournament.

_End Chapter Two_

* * *

Author's Notes: While most people say "how the mighty have fallen," the saying is often also stated as "how the mighty are fallen." I prefer the latter. I wanted the date to be a little longer, but this chapter was already getting pretty long. I may go back later and do it as a side-story. I didn't feel it was directly related to the main story, which I wish to get into. I don't care to spend too much time in Nerima with minor characters. About the dragonballs, this is after Dende remade them, so there are two wishes, but they still can't revive someone more than once. If you remember, when they used the dragonballs to wish back everyone Cell killed, Goku wasn't revived. When they specifically asked to revive Goku with the second wish, the dragon told them he couldn't revive someone more than once. Dende had made it clear earlier that he could make the dragon to revive multiple people once, or a single person multiple times, but not both multiple people multiple times. I think the chapter answered most of the other questions. So, on to the tournament! Next time...  



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